Dash / Data / GPS / Video system recomendations
 

OK,

Let me tell you what I have and what I want and I would love to have some advice on what I should buy.

I have a 2004 cup. I would like a system that would:

Pull CAN data from the ecu
have a dash with
Predictive lap timing
shift lights
all the data from the engine including warning lights
Video with either the data overlaid or embedded in the data
GPS for track mapping, speed
what gear I am in shown on dash
the dash/data system to turn on and off the video recording automatically
Two video sources for picture in picture
Some nice quality video


Here is what I currently own. Some of this I am currently using and some I am not. If I can figure out one integratted system (for not crazy money) I will sell all of this and get something new.

Motec ADL (1) with 16 meg and pro logging
Motec Shift lights
Custom Motec harness that has inputs and outputs for EVERYTHING. (not everything is hooked up though)
RLC ChaseCommander
AIM David stand alone all set up for a cup car.
enough Chasecam PDR's to start my own spy business.


Also, if someone can tell me how to get the radio chatter recorded on the video without strapping in an extra radio to sit next to the microphone I would like to hear that one too.

Did I mension that I do not want to spend $10k on the system (so an updated Motec is out)


Thanks

Ed

Ok, I can help with that. Let's go through your list. Remember, the CAN data coming form the 04 Cup is limited, so you may need to add sensors for engine health and condition.

Going down your list:

Pull CAN data from the ecu

Can do that with AiM (with powerful software), Race-Keeper, VVBOX

have a dash with
Predictive lap timing
Shift lights
All the data from the engine including warning lights

All the data from the engine with alarms (warning lights) means using the AiM MXL dash. Race-Keeper doesn't have a dash and VVB only has timing information, no shift lights or alarms.

Video with either the data overlaid or embedded in the data

With the AiM EVO4 or MXL, you can control an AiM SmartyCam camera (turn it off and on) and send information to it to be embedded in the video, real-time. Easy and instant review capability.

GPS for track mapping, speed

The MXL Pista has no GPS built in, but if you use a SmartyCam with it, you can get GPS, track mapping, timing and predictive information from the SmartyCam's GPS antenna to the dash.

I recommend something better by AiM, the EVO 4 (GPS built in with accelerometers all three-axis) coupled with the MXL-Dash (only the guts and the display, needs a logger to drive it), a strong aluminum backlit housing that works great.

What gear I am in shown on dash

AiM MXL Pista and EVO 4/MXL-Dash will do that.

The dash/data system to turn on and off the video recording automatically

Any modern AiM logger/dash will do that with an AiM SmartyCam.

Two video sources for picture in picture

This may be the deal breaker for AiM only systems.

While this may be added in the future, what I have done is to sell several 6 Cup owners the above system as a logger/display combo and sell them (and 7 Cup owners only) a separate Video VBOX Lite or Race-Keeper, if they REALLY wanted picture-in-picture.

While not controlled by the logger, it does start with movement and stop without for no-muss, no-fuss, no attention recording.

The cost of the EVO 4/MXL Dash, SmartyCam GP AND another 2-camera system to get your picture in picture is less than $10K for your car with additional sensors and configuration.

Some nice quality video

Any offering I have is better than the ChaseCam (or the MoTeC DVS) by a significant margin. I've been a dealer for ChaseCam for seven years (and a MoTeC dealer for six months), so I know what I'm talking about. Video is REALLY important for driver development, as you know.

The best SD video is the Video VBOX, second best is the AiM SmartyCam GP and the third (although it can be made equal or better than the SmartyCam with a bunch of work) is Race-Keeper.

I KNOW you'll be pleased with these offerings, you just need to decide how important multi-camera video is to you.

You can certainly do ALL this within your budget (not including installation costs, you need to check on that, but I would think you could include that, too) and have everything you need.

Because there is NO way to add the advanced GPS tools and capability to the ADL that I would want, I don't really have a place to go with it and couldn't take a trade, so you should sell it. That, the SLM and the harness should find a good home together.

The DaVID is a fossil, I'm afraid. Not even possible to have the current generation of equipment control it.

The race chatter on the audio is NO problem. I can do that with any system referenced above.

I had heard that Aim has a new generation dash on the horizon that has GPS built into it ?

If I had something like that, could it interface with a Chasecam Diva ? or would I then be loosing the data overlay / embedding.

Thanks

Ed

Yes, AiM has the MXL 2 coming out in a few months. Has GPS, tri-axial accelerometers built in, CAN capability, wireless downloads and configurable display fields. Nice piece. Same technology as the EVO 4 in a newer display. Here's the sales sheet. http://www.aim-sportline.com/downloa...s/aim_mxl2.pdf

No, no output of information to send to the DIVA, I'm afraid. You would not have the data overlay embedded onto the video, real time without relying on the SmartyCam, an HD version due out before the MXL 2.

So, what is the anticipated price on the MXL 2

On the smarty cam (too bad they do not make a version that you can add a second camera to) It can overly data from the dash like brake pedal pressure, gear selection, rpm, and engine temps.

Thanks

Ed

Anticipate price of the MXL 2 is exactly the same as the current MXL and the EVO 4/MXL-Dash combination, $1999

Yes, the reason why the SmartyCam is the most powerful tool is because it has the ability to take logged data and embed it (record the data overlaid onto the video) WHILE IT'S HAPPENING. Pull the chip, stick it in the computer, play it with the info already on it. Don't have to go through steps to add the data to the video after the fact, like Traqmate, ChaseCam and MoTeC.

If you want to dig deeper, you can do so with the data in Race Studio Analysis (the data reading program).

The MXL2 is the same guts as the Evo5, not the EVO4 from what they said at PRI.

I'm told you can run 2 SmartyCams together, but not do the picture in picture real time. You can put it together later though. I haven't tried it since I only have 1 camera.

Ed you might want to give Gary Karamikian at GK Systems Inc a call. He is a Motec whiz and his guys have set up all of my cars.

Minor hijack - but related ;-)

Peter - I've got a Motec ADL in my car. Can the I use a smarty cam standalone just to get video with the data overlay and hook it up to the CAN bus in parallel to get RPM, throttle position, etc, on the video?

I don't know. Let me find out.

What car? What ECU?

I meant the same family of technology. Yes, the EVO 4 and EVO 5 are both the "new" generation, whereas the MXL-Pista is the "old" generation of hardware.

Yes, as Jerry confirmed, you can control two SmartyCam off the same logger, feeding the same info to both. The OP didn't sound like he wanted to do a lot of post-session processing to combine them though.

Great resource!

Ed, one more reasonable MoTeC option I did not think of immediately is the new CDL3 dash, with the logging option, with additional I/O inputs (includes GPS and CAN) and a Race-Keeper HE (up to 4 cameras) video with data embedded add-on. The video is controlled by the MoTeC CDL3 dash/logger.

This would do everything you want (albeit with a little more complexity but with the most power in configuration and data presentation) for less than your target budget. All of it.

996 gt3r .... Bosch 3.1 ecu. Thanks!

+1

Yes you can. You would need to add the AiM ECU bridge.